Anonymous will never forgive the kidnapping of one of its members. (Photo Credit: CC BY/OperationPaperStorm/Flickr)

Mexico’s drug war has destroyed the lives of individuals and families on both sides of the U.S/Mexico border, with tactics ranging from kidnapping to slaughter. Los Zetas drug cartel, a group the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers the most violent cartel/paramilitary group in Mexico, may have kidnapped the wrong person this time, reports the Houston Chronicle. According to reports, Zetas apprehended a member of the infamous hacktivist group Anonymous.

Anonymous never forgive

An international group of online hackers, Anonymous has played a role in various cyber attacks against Wall Street banks and other large-scale corporate entities perceived to be oppressors of the 99 percent and opponents of the free flow of information online. A classic example of the stand alone complex philosophy made real, Anonymous is a viral phenomenon that has maintained a ragtag sense of underground cohesion for several years.

“We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”

Anonymous threatens to publish

An army that uses information as its weapon, Anonymous has threatened that if Zetas does not release its member from captivity, the hacker group will publish the names and addresses of all Zetas’ syndicate associates, including corrupt authorities, journalists and taxi drivers, as well as syndicate business locations.

“You made a huge mistake by taking one of us. Release him,” says a masked man in Spanish in an Anonymous video posted online.

While the speaker’s accent is that of a Spaniard, he uses Mexican slang. The mask is a caricature of Guy Fawkes, a modern figurehead of populist rebellion against large, oppressive powers.

“We cannot defend ourselves with a weapon … but we can do this with their cars, homes, bars, brothels and everything else in their possession,” the Anonymous representative continued. “It won’t be difficult; we all know who they are and where they are located.”

The kidnapped Anonymous member’s name has not been made public, but the member is believed to have been taken during a street protest in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Remember the 5th of November

Just as Guy Fawkes called for an attack on England’s House of Lords on Nov. 5, 1605, Anonymous has given Los Zetas until Nov. 5 to release its captive member.

“We demand his release… If anything happens to him, you sons of (expletive) will always remember this upcoming Nov. 5,” said the Anonymous masked man.

Fear of violent reprisal

Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former leader of international operations, believes that Zetas should take Anonymous’ threats seriously.

“It is a gutsy move,” Vigil said. “By publishing the names, (Anonymous) identify them to rivals, and trust me, they will go after them.”

However, as Fred Burton of the Austin, Texas-based intelligence company Stratfor notes, Anonymous’ gambit will “most certainly” lead to more deaths of bloggers and others.

“In this viral world, it shows how much damage can be done with one statement on the Web,” said Burton.

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